Revolving door



'Dec. 4, 1934. E PEREM] E L v 7 1,983,396

REVOLV ING DOOR Filed Nov. '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS farm/v0 fi-WEM/ cf 014K652) Maw =2: BY I 774/0164 s m ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1934. PEREMl ET 1,983,396

REVOLVING DOOR Filed Nov. '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 4, 1934 1,983,396 REVOLVING noon Edmund Peremi, Manhasset, and Charles Kisli,

Elmhurst, N. Y.,iassignors to General Bronze I Corporation, Long 'Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 7, 1933, Serial No. 696,958

18 Claims.

This invention relates to revolving doors, and more particularly to doors of the type in which the several leaves are normally retained in fixed radial positions with reference to one another, but in which the leaves may be collapsed or folded into book form when desired.

It is an object of the invention to provide on the leaves and on the central support therefor cooperating means adapted to hold the leaves in place, to produce a controlled planetary movement. of the inner portions of the leaves about the central column when the leaves are folded, and to provide extensive inter-engaging surfaces effective in all positions of a leaf to positively assure parallelism between the leaf and the axis of the central column. To" this end provision is desirably made upon the central support of a non-circular central gear-like member which participates. in the control of the planetary movements of all the leaves and which has a guiding and retaining flange surrounding but spaced from the gear portion with surfaces of appropriate contour for cooperating in the controlof the. movements of the leaves, and upon each leaf a block or gear member of appropriate shape for cooperating atall times with both the central gear and with the surrounding guide flange.

It is a further and important object of the invention to provide novel and improved detent means for normally retaining each leaf in radial positions, such detent means comprising alternatively effectivespring toggle members, the arrangement being such that oneor the other i must be forced to and beyond dead. center in order to move the door leaf away from its normal. position.

With this arrangement a detent structure is. provided which is adaptedto. be accurately and. permanently set to yield in response toa predetermined pressure since no=variable factor such. as friction, which develops in prior structures to cause a, departure from the initial and intended resistance, can have any substantial effect in altering the resistance of the toggle mechanism of the present structure which such mechanism is designed to interpose.

A further feature of the toggle mechanism resides inthe fact that the initial resistance to movement from normal position is not so great as that which occurs at and just before the point: where the dead center position of the toggle is reached. As a consequence the door leaves may be securely" safeguarded? against unintended: collapse but may nevertheless provide a limited yielding effect. This effect is highly desirable for the protection of persons who may unobservantly walk or stumble against one of the leaves and of persons who may be overtaken. and struck from behind by a leaf when passing through the door way.

The toggle mechanism is well adapted for em:- ployment with the leaf supporting and controlling. means embodied in the illustrative form of the invention disclosed herein. This mechanism, however, is not confined to use with any particular leaf movement nor is its application confined to any .particular formof spring loading means.

A further object of the invention is to provide spring detent means adapted to yield under a predetermined load, and means for selectively determining and. setting such predetermined load without the necessity of compressing the spring of said detent. To this end it is a feature of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated herein that the detent mechanism and the loading spring are connected through force multiplying means, and that provision is madefor altering the multiplication ratio: while maintaining the stress of the spring unchanged.

The importance of assuring that the detent mechanism will. always yield in response to a predetermined force lies in the fact that different. states have different regulations and statutes which specify a maximum force under which the leaves must yield under panic conditions.

For ordinary folding of. the leaves into book form to clear the door opening for the reception and delivery of merchandise, it is frequently desirable for the operator not to be compelled to exert this panic force. With the spring loading means of the present invention the spring loading of the detent maybe reduced at will to any; desired point and reestablished at thepredetermined maximum after the leaves have been returned to normal without the necessity of relieving and restressing the spring and hence without the necessity of overcoming the spring resistance.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevationof a door structure embodying features of the invention;

Figure 21s a horizontal, sectional: View illustrating. the structure of. Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, plan view of the inner end of one of the door leaves;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view through one of the control devices, the leaves being illustrated in collapsed condition;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, detail view in vertical section illustrating a feature of the door leaf construction whereby the space around the detents is sealed against the admission of drafts;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, detail perspective view illustrating a pair of detents and their associated plunger in disassembled relation;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan view through the central supporting mechanism and one of the door leaves, the normal positions of the other leaves being indicated in dash lines and one collapsed condition of all the leaves being indicated in dot and dash lines;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view'in sectional elevation of the mechanism illustrated in full lines in Figure 7.

The door is shown mounted in an opening in a building structure of usual form, the opening being bounded by a floor 1, a ceiling wall 2 and arcuate side walls 3. The door leaves 4 are supported from a central, vertical shaft 5 which extends up through a slot in the ceiling wall 2 and which is revolubly suspended from carriage 6. The carriage is in turn mounted upon a track (not shown) and may be slid along the track to locate the folded leaves at one side of the opening in the position indicated at 7 in Figure 2.

Upon the central shaft 5 provision is made of upper and lower discs 8 which are fixedly secured to the shaft for supporting the leaves 4 and controlling the movements of the leaves relative to the shaft. Each disc includes a raised inner flange 9, a raised outer flange 10 and four raised bosses or pins 11, preferably of the same height as the flanges. The inner flange is so contoured that with the bosses 11 it constitutes a gear of non-circular form upon which the leaves are adapted to have planetary movement with reference to the shaft 5.

Each leaf has mounted in it upper and lower housings each composed of complementary plates 12 and 13 (Fig. 9). Ears 14 and 15 at the outer ends of the plates are clamped to gether by a bolt 16 and a nut 1'7. The plates have side flanges 17a which stand in abutting relation, and they may be exteriorly supported by other portions of the leaves to hold them securely together. At the inner end of the plate 13, shown in Figure 9, provision is made of a block or pinion member 18 which is fixed to the plate as by screws 19, and which moves in the annular space between the inner and outer flanges of the disc 8.

Each block 18 and each disc 8 include interengaging surfaces arranged to have extensive sliding contact with one another at the inner and outer sides of the block and to firmly support and control the block throughout a swinging movement in the course of which the block is turned through substantially 135 degrees and moved bodily in a planetary path through a lesser anglej Each block 18 is provided with a circular lobe 20 which normally bears in a complementary bearing recess 21 formed in the outer face of the flange 9. At the opposite end of the 0 06K from the lobe 20 provision is made-bf a broad arcuate bearing surface 22 concentric with the bearing surface of the lobe 20. The surface 22 bears against an inner arcuate surface 23 of the flange 10, which surface is concentric with the bearing surface of the recess 21. When the door leaf is swung away from normal position it is guided first by the arcs 20 and 22, 21 and 23 until such movement is arrested by engagement of one of the bosses 11 with the base of a notch 24' which is provided in the block 18. At this instant the surface 22 clears the surface 23, leaving the block 18 free to turn about the axis of boss 11, and at the same time an arcuate surface 25 of a tooth 26 of the block 18 will have come into full engagement with a second arcuate recess 27 of the inner flange 9. At this same time an arcuate bearing surface 28 of the block 18 which is concentric with the base of the recess or notch 24 comes into engagement with an arcuate surface 29 of the outer flange 10 which is concentric with the axis of the boss 11 and with the arcuate surface of the recess 27. The tooth 30 of the block 18 also has a portion 31 of the outer end thereof made arcuate about the same center as thebase of the recess 24 and the surface 28.

In the second phase ofrotation of the door leaf the block is guided by inter-engagement of the boss or pin 11 with the base of the notch 24, the arcuate surface 27 with the arcuate surface 25, and the arcuate surface 29 with the arcuate surfaces 28 and 31. The second phase of rotation of the door leaf is terminated when the leaf with the block 18 affixed thereto has moved through substantially one hundred and thirty-five degrees from its original position. Throughout the entire movement the leaf is positively controlled by the extensive broad inter-engaging surfaces at the inner and outer sides of the block 18.

The right and left hand halves of the block 18 are mirror images of one another. The bosses or pins 11 are all located at the same distance from the axis of the shaft 5. The recesses 21 and 27 occur in alternation around the entire periphery of the inner flange 9, while the arcuate surfaces 23 and 29 occur in alternation around the entire inner face of the outer flange 10. As a consequence, each door leaf is capable of being swung in either direction through one hundred and thirty-five degrees from its normal radial position and to be supported and controlled in such swinging movement in the manner described.

It is desirable that provision be made of mechanism adapted to be set to inter'pose a predetermined yielding resistance to collapsing movement of a door leaf and that such mecha nism be capable of continuously maintaining substantially the same resistance to collapse throughout the life of the structure. It is desirable, for example, that the operation and effect of the detent mechanism shall be substantially independent of regular lubrication and freedom from dust or dirt.

It is also desirable, however, that the detent mechanism, though capable of resisting collapsing movement of the leaf with a sufficient force to prevent unintended collapsing movement thereof, shall nevertheless have capacity for limited yielding movement within a narrow range against increasing resistance in the normal operation of the door. An important feature of nd i a. ompr ss on spring 41.

with substantial force.

intestine relates t the. we ign. Qt. revel t es tiesir semester housi term d by he d est and-i3 tests I era ion. than" at the rise 8-. lide sl ts 33 .9 hsiusiee; tarite at he. inwa d rep? an ear 33 through which a v te me 2 a d: 6; eiv tall pin 34, being urged apart a. oorn and a si ar notch 39 is provide the huh rifirt 9? he. d ent 161- The s itul ler he tt. side the se s 38 imits. rt a i n Qt. the toward; th le t. wit elatitn to the sli e 99 312; a d e, shqultiera th lef ide. 0f th. 39s ia its r ta ee i the detent arm; eward t e r ght w ti t 35. As a consequence the sauteset-malls eqt urr it.

; tit i te ns;

de it. ar t ether wi h norma ly cons i u e l ds b es i sprin loaded hQ-V te t. i the oo in it er direc- 3 1; eternal. n olves first a str i htenin of one or the other of the toggles with. a. 2n5- the pr n such moveine. but ncreasing The, slid block 32. is. provided: witha bore to: at; the outer end thereof for receiving one The spring 41 h a s at its opposite end a ainst an abutment e2 f the housing plate 12 and constantly urges the slide. hloclt 32 forward with light yielding The slide block: is provided with an in,-

wardl iacing shoulder 43 at, the lower side thereof and this shoulder cooperates. with a shoulder 44. of the plate 13 for limiting inward m vement o h lide block whe h de ents are ut. of a tion.

The slide block is also provided with a. down? wardly facing cam shoulder 45101. cooperating with a beveled faced lever 46. The lever 46 is upDQrted:upon a. fulcrum pin 47' mounted; in the housing, and rests at its outer end upon an unyielding abutment 48 of the housing plate 13. A. plunger 49 mounted in a sleeve 50: is. urged downward by a compression spring 51 against the outer end of the lever and holds the outer end of: the lever down against the abutment 48 The spring 51 bears against opposed flanges, on. the head of the plunger 4.9 and on the base of the sleeve 50. Tihezsleeve 511 i fi ed n aracl: bar 52 which is sliclably mounted in the housing. A pinion 53- meshes With the raekhar 5.2;, The shaft. of

'. desired-position alongthe lever to cause the initial collapsing movement of the door leaf to be resisted by any selected predetermined; amount of iorce. The plunger mayv even be. located directly over the axis of the fulcrum. pin 47' to render the spring 51 completely ineffective.

ii he an. Qt the rats a Y he. ap ied s positively t be mov d outwa tram. he ul rum To. his end a t e i provid d e tends upward s ns P ate 12. .5 $101.: to

es med u o olt, 6 wh. hrou h a slot. 5!! the t p. The plt- 56 y be mo ed a .Qn nines p ovided in. the 119115.-

n e slots r i thesli le b ues. .2. and the detent arm jointly m fl x d toggle which. must. be moved to and through the straight or'deadcenter position order to fold the leaf. During, this movement ow rd: t rai ht positi n of h t g the j forced hack in. the housing with a that. the forwardend of the lever 46 is depressed by the, camming' action of the in.- Qljii fid llgli dfir $5. and the rear end o the ver is raised against. the force of: the spring 5. Du in this mo emen the sp 5 s com pressed and the resistance to movement is caused to increase. Displacement short of a dead center position is automatically followed by a restoration of the displaced leaf to normal pos tion. r

When the dead center position has been crossed the slide block is returned toward its initial position and is arrested by interengagement of the shoulders 43 and 44. The detent arm. 35then rides. upon the periphery of the disc 8 without interfering in any way with the free ifolding-of the door leaf which is now entirely released. At the same time the arm 36 is hm.- ited against counterolocliwise; movement by en; gagement with a shoulder 61 of the housing 12, 3- Th? de st 8 5 QIQ QQSQ I to. l e n .l'LiXt-':t n s fi as. il us rated i Figure when t e lea has been. swu through either d grees or 135 degrees. from the normal position. the return movement to normal position he arm; 5 irst enters the otc 5.9 an is a s ed ythe, atc t the arm 36 did not thereafter engage the notch 60, however, the leaf" would not bearrested in. normal position. but would swing beyond such a position. It is for the-purpose of assuring that the arm 36 will enter the notch in this return movement that the limiting reoess'39 is provided upon the hub portion of the arm 3d for preventing a greater an ular sepa a ion. o the arms 35 an 36.

It. ll e app ecia ed of urse, ha whe h l af. 4 of. Figure. 7 s. swun na unt n clo kwise dire tion. om n ma po tion the detent arm 36 willoperate in. the same manner that the arm 35 operates when the leaf isswung in a clockwise direction from normal position. hi ns ance c unterclockwise s ingi g of the will. be imi ed. n. h in t al sw ne:

he resen ns r-uttio i the mt ie top bein it he. ends normally enga ing movement of the leaf 4 by engagement with an abutment 62 of the housing 12, 13.

For the purpose of determining the collapsed positions of the leaves, each plate 12 is provided with a well 62 and each well receives a detent plunger 63 which extends through the plate 12 into engagement with the upper face of the disc 8. Above each plunger provision is made of a compression spring 64 and of a threaded plug 65 for forcing the plunger downward with yielding pressure. Each leaf has two collapsed positions 45 degrees removed from normal and two collapsed positions 135 degrees removed from normal. Four depressions are accordingly provided in the upper surface of the disc 8 for cooperating with each plunger 63, there being sixteen of these depressions in all. The depressions are all indicated by the numeral 66. An additional depression might be provided for each leaf corresponding to the radial position thereof, but since the detents determine the normal positions such depressions are unnecessary, moreover, since the plungers 63 may possibly stick, it is preferable to avoid using them where they might interfere with 'the collapsing movement under panic conditions.

For the purpose of preventing the admission of drafts, sleeves 67 are desirably provided around the shaft 5, above, below and between the upper and lower discs 8. Each door frame extends into substantially contiguous relation to the sleeves 67 when the leaves are in normal position, the leaves and the exterior faces of the sleeves being provided with complementary arcuate surfaces for engaging one another in normal position.

As has been mentioned, the detent arms extend into slots or openings which are provided in the sides of the housing 12, 13. For the pur pose of preventing the admission of drafts around the spread inner ends of the detent arms 3-5, and 36, the side walls of the door are pro- Vided with flared or extended portions 68 to overlie the spread detent arms. The detent arms themselves are substantially coextensive in height with the openings in which they spread, so that the admission of drafts is effectually prevented.

The disc mounted at the top of the door is desirably arranged with the flanges extending upwardly so that a smooth exterior surface is exposed to view from below. The disc near the top of the door is inverted with respect to the upper disc so that a smooth exterior surface is presented to View from above.

The detent mechanism described is ordinarily duplicated at the upper and lower ends of the doorleaves so that detents are provided for cooperation with both discs. It is feasible in some instances, however, to omit the detent mechanism at either the upper or lower end of the door and to rely upon a single set of detents in conjunction with one or the other of the discs.

While we have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of our invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. We do not, therefore, desire to limit ourselves to the specific construction illustrated, but intend to cover our invention broadly in whatever form its principle may be utilized.

We claim:

1. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance a notched member on the central support, a pair of normally flexed alternatively eifective toggles carried by the leaf and having arms thereof engaged in the notched member, and spring means disposed to resist straightening of the toggles, the arrangement being such that one or the other of the toggles must be straightened before the leaf can be moved to collapsed position.

2. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance an abutment member on the central support, a flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement to the right, and a second flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement toward the left.

3. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and alternatively effective divergent arms carried by and'associated with each leaf and each operable across the plane of the leaf and acting to resist movement of the leaf away from the normal radial position thereof in one direction with yielding but increasing force until the arm crosses the plane of the leaf and automatically ineffective thereafter to offer further resistance.

4. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance an abutment member on the central'support, and a pair of angularly related rockable detent arms carried by each leaf and independently interlocking with the abutment member at opposite sides of the leaf when the leaf is in radial position, each arm being automatically tripped free of the abutment member upon folding of the leaf in a predetermined direction and to a predetermined degree.

5. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance an abutment member on the central support, a flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf and requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement to the right, and a second flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement toward the left, said spring toggles comprising an element in common and a common spring acting on said element whereby the resistances to movement in opposite directions are caused to be the same.

6. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance, an abutment member on the central sup port, a flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement to the right, and a second flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement toward the left, spring means interposed between the retaining arms of said toggles to urge them apart, and means for limiting separation of said arms.

rpsegsoer Irra: revolving door, in.'combination;..'a certtrali rotary; support. leaves foldably mounted on the: support, and means? normally retaining: each leaf:v in radial position, comprising in. each in'-' stancevan abutmenttniember on the central support, aifliexedlsprihgatoggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement to the right, and a second flexed spring toggle carried by the leaf requiring to be straightened in order to free the leaf for movement toward the left, the abutment member being a notched disc and having notches for cooperating alike with the retaining arms of all the leaves.

8. In a revolving door, in combination, a central rotary support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means normally retaining each leaf in radial position, comprising in each instance a normally flexed detent device operable through a dead center condition, said device being normally so disposed with relation to the leaf and the central support that it is required to be operated to and through the dead center position in order to release the leaf for collapsing movement.

9. In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means carried by each leaf for resisting movement of the leaf away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for acting on the detent to make it effective, force multiplying means interposed between the spring and the detent and forming an operating connection between them, and means :i' for altering the mechanical advantage ratio between the spring and the detent while maintaining the stress of the spring unchanged.

10. In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means carried by each leaf for resisting movement of the leaves away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for acting on the detent to make it effective, means operable to reduce the effectiveness of the spring upon the detent and to restore the initial effectiveness of the spring while maintaining the stress of the spring substantially unchanged, and means automatically limiting and terminating the restoring action when the initial effectiveness of the spring has been restored.

11. In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means carried by' each leaf for resisting movement of the leaves away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for acting on the detent to make it effective, means operable to reduce the effectiveness of the spring upon the detent and to restore the initial effectiveness of the spring, means automatically limiting and terminating the restoring action when the initial effectiveness of the spring has been restored, and means for adjusting the limiting means and fixing the adjustment thereof.

12. In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means carried by each leaf for resisting movement of the leaf away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for acting on the detent to make it effectoward and from the fulcrum of the lever.

I3; In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central: support, leaves foldably mounted -on" the support, and means carried by each l'eafi for' resisting movement ofthe leaf away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for-acting on the: detent to make it eifec tive, a lever interposed between the spring and the detent for applying the power of the spring to the detent, a fixed stop opposed to the lever for limiting movement of the lever in a direction to act on the detent, and means for adjusting the spring toward and from the fulcrum of the lever in substantial parallelism to the lever arm upon which the spring acts.

14. In a revolving door, in combination, a rotary central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means carried by each leaf for resisting movement of the leaf away from the normal radial position comprising a detent, a spring for acting on the detent to make it effective, a lever interposed between the spring and the detent for applying the power of the spring to the detent, and means for adjusting the spring toward and from the fulcrum of the lever, comprising a rack upon which the spring is mounted, said rack being movable in parallelism with the lever arm upon which the spring acts, a pinion for operating the rack, and a pinion shaft accessible from the exterior of the door leaf for operating the pinion.

15. In a revolving door, in combination, a central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means guiding the leaves in their folding movements comprising a central gear, a pinion block fixed on each leaf and movable in a planetary path about the gear, and an external guide having a series of non-concentric, arcuate guiding surfaces, said guide constantly engaging and confining the pinion block in all positions thereof and cooperating through said guiding surfaces with relatively rotating surfaces of the pinion block of substantial area, each equiradial with the cooperative guiding surfaces, to hold the pinion block in engagement with the gear.

16. In a revolving door, in combination, a central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means guiding the leaves in their folding movements comprising a central gear, a pinion block fixed on each leaf movable in a planetary path about the gear, and an external guide having a series of non-concentric, arcuate guiding surfaces, said guide constantly engaging and confining the pinion block in all positions thereof and cooperating through said guiding surfaces with unyielding surfaces of the pinion block of substantial area, each equi-radial with the cooperative guiding surfaces, to hold the pinion block in engagement with the gear.

17. In a revolving door, in combination, a central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, and means guiding the leaves in their folding movements comprising a disc having an inner gear-like flange, and an outer guide flange each having a series of non-concentric, arcuate guiding surfaces, said surfaces of the flanges being paired and the surfaces of each pair being concentric with one another, and a pinion block fixed on each leaf and confined in all positions between the flanges and formed to fit successively with successive paired surfaces.

18. In a revolving door, in combination, a central support, leaves foldably mounted on the support, each leaf having a plurality of phases of folding movement in travelling from its norguide members" having successive cooperating sets of concentric surfaces between which the pinion block is successively held and guided 'dur ing the successive phases of folding movement.

EDMUND PEREMI. CHARLES KISI-I. 

